Ask Lafeber

My 6 month old cockatiel laid an egg

Recently, my very young cockatiel has laid an egg. I think it’s because she has been near my 7 year old male cockatiel. I feel bad for her but my family thinks it’s normal and that it’s fine.

Hi,

No, this is not normal or fine – you are right to be concerned for her. Just like humans, animals will be capable of reproducing long before they are ready for a mate. This doesn’t mean they should mate and have a baby, or with a bird, lay eggs. Even infertile eggs are not something a 6 month old bird should be laying. Forming and laying eggs is very hard on a bird’s body. It depletes her body of calcium and protein – something her body needs right now because she is still growing & developing. Depriving her of these important nutrients at her age can interfere with her normal growth, but even worse, since her body is not prepared to provide the extra calcium and protein, it can cause her egg not to form a strong shell, which can result in it breaking inside her, and this will kill her. Even if she forms strong shells, it takes strong muscles to move the egg through her reproductive track, but since these muscles are not fully developed, it can cause her to be unable to lay the egg, which is known as egg binding – a condition that is usually fatal in a young bird, and often fatal in a mature hen. She is unlikely to stop at one egg – they usually lay 4-6 eggs, one every other day. If you notice she is fluffed up, on the cage floor and appears to be straining, such as her tail pumping up and down, these are signs of egg binding and she would need to be rushed to an Avian Vet. You need to throw any eggs away, and per my advice before, do not give her a nest, box or anything to use as a nest. I highly recommend that you follow my previous advice and make the changes I listed to try to stop her from laying more eggs. This includes keeping her away from the male. A good cockatiel breeder will not breed a bird until it is between 2-3 years old. The breeders who do so for profit may start their birds at any age, but they are only interested in making money, much like someone who has a puppy mill and breeds at any cost to the animal’s health. Just because your juvenile bird laid an egg, and may lay more, doesn’t mean this is good for her or that she is not suffering from it. Cockatiel hens are notorious for becoming chronic egg layers in captivity, and if making changes doesn’t stop her from laying eggs, she will need hormone treatments from an Avian Vet. So you need to do what you can to stop her now or her health will be at risk, and she will end up needing veterinary care to save her.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda